Bottle-filling machine.



No. 849,735. PATENTED APR. 9, 1907.

S. M. HEULINGS. BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYI. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SEEM. l.

I I WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

No. 849,735. PATENTED APR. 9, 1907. S. M. HEULINGS. BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYL 1905.

B BETH-SHEET 2.

Flair. W o

WITN ESSES:

i No.- 849,735.

UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

' SAMUEL M. HEULINGS, OF HADDONFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

BOTTLE-FILLING MACHINE.

Patented April 9, 1907.

Application filed May4, 1905. Serial No. 258.800.

My invention relates to machines particularly applicableto the filling-of bottles with li uids that form froth when poured, such as milk, beer, &c.

It is the object of my invention to provide a machine in which a battery of empty bottles'may be placed and said bottles raised to automatically open individual controllingvalves to permit the liquid to flow into the bottles, and comprisin means whereby the froth or surplus liquid may be exhausted therefrom by communication with a vacuum without the intervention of rubber or" other resilient medium to prevent overflow, the

exhausting action causing a partial vacuum in thebottles, which materially increases the rate of flow of the liquid therein.

The form of my invention hereinafter de- -scribed comprises a reservoir, controllingvalves in said reservoir, a vacuum-chamber, means whereby said valves are opened by respective bottles when uplifted, means where- 'by said vacuum-chamber is connected with the interior of each of said bottles to exhaust the air therefrom and withdraw the surplus liquid or froth into said chamber, and means arranged to automatically permit said liquid and froth to flow back into said reservoir.

It has been found in practice that inmachines of the character herein described, wherein valves or washers of rubber or similar resilient material have been used to form liquid-tight joints, such material disintegrates and forms interstices in which the liquid lodges and permits the development of bacteria which infect the liquid supplied by the machine. Therefore my invention com prehends such an arrangement of the elements of themachine that theymay be readily assembled or taken apart to be cleansed, including joints and valves formed wholly of metal or other material impervious to the liquids employed, thereby obviating the use of rubber or other materials which are disinte rated by use.

I n machines of the prior art the froth and surplus liquid are ermitted'to overflow and soil the exterior o the bottles, necessitating I the rewashing of the same and also the pro- 1 vision of me ans to remove said surplus from the supporting-table and return it to the reservoir. E hereinafter described bottles of varying heights may be filled to their tops without i overflow ing and without the necessity of the i separate operation of topping the taller ones, 1 as is necessary with many machines of the i prior. art. My invention comprehends the various novel features of construction and arrange ment hereinafter more definitely specified and claimed.

' In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a side elevation of a machine conveniently embodying my improvements. Fig. II is a transverse vertical sectional view of said machine, taken on the line II II in Fig. I. Fig. III is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line III III in Fig. II. Fig. IV is an inverted plan view of'one of the bottle-neckreceivin bells. Fig. V is a central vertical sectiona view of a modified form of valve.

In said figures the base 1 is provided with the vertical standards 2, having the brackets screws 4' and arran ed to support the pan 5, which comprises t e bottom plate 7, provided with elongated bosses 8, aving apertures 9, with shoulders 10. The tube-heads 12 are inserted within the apertures 9, and being arranged to snugly fit with their flanges 13 in engagement with the shou1ders'10 are secured by the nuts 15. Each of said tubeheads 12 com rises an eccentrically-disposed depending tulie 17, whose channel 18 bifurcates into reduced channels 20 and 21, leading,respectively, to conical seats 22 and 23 in the top of the head.

The tubes 17 extend into the apertures 25 in the bottleneck-receiving bells 26, which are arranged for respective vertical reciprocation in the bell-plate 30, the latter being supported by brackets 31 adjust-ably secure on the standards 2 by the set-screws 32. ,Said bells 26 comprise the outwardly-flared flanges 34, arranged to guide the bottles 35 to their seats 36, within which the lugs 38 depend, having the horizontal extensions 39 arranged to uplift the valves IO-when the bells are raised by respective bottles 35.

It may be observed that when the bottles 35 are seated in the bells 26 the tops of the recesses between the lugs 38 are below the tops of the bottles and the liquid isdrawn 3 adjustably secured thereon by the settherefrom to a level corresponding to the tops of said recesses, so as to afford room in the bottles for their stoppers without waste of the liquid. Y

The valves 40 comprise the respective Weighted upper portions 41, arranged to insure their engagement with their seats when closed, and the tubes 42 having the apertures 43 adjacent'to said valves depending into contact with the horizontal extensions of the lugs 38. As shown in Fig. V, the weighted portions 41 may be sufliciently long to extend above the level of the liquid and be provided with vent-passages 44 in communication with the interior of the tubes 42 to en'- able" said tubes to quickly drain when the liquid is .shut off. Said valves 40 may be readily removed by withdrawing them upward in a vertical direction, and the bells 26 may be removed by sli htly raising them with respect to the bell-p ate 30 and removing the keeperieces 45 from beneath the lugs 46 on 'sai bells, which may then be Withdrawn downward with their lugs in engagement with the grooves 48 in the bell- I plate 30, as best shown in Fig. III.

It will be here noted that the ready removal of the parts as above described facilitates their frequent washing, which is essential to maintain the sanitary condition of the machine. I Y

The raising-plate 50 is provided-with the brackets 51, arranged for vertical reciprocation on the standards 2, and said brackets have bearings 52, in which the rockshaf,t is journaled. Said shaft 55 carries the lever 56, which has the link 58 pivoted on the stationary stud 59 in the bracket 31, and said shaft is arran ed to be rocked by the handlever 60, the 'ownward movement of which rocks the lever 56 to a substantially horizontal position and uplifts the plate 50.' Said plate 50 also comprises the parallel guides 62, arranged to guide the bottle-rack 65, in which the bottles are arranged in arallel rows, conveniently two rows with eig t bottles in each.

Above the pan 5 is mounted the vacuumchamber 70, comprising the lower shell 71 and the upper shell 72, which latter is conveniently secured to; said lower shell by the swing-bolts '74, having the wing-nuts 75. A resilient gasket'78, which does not come in'te contact with the liquid, isconveniently interposed between the'fi'an cs 79 and 80 of the respective shells 71 an .72. faces of said flanges may be machined and said gasket omitted. The vertical tubes extend through and are secured in the shell 71 and have their lower conical ends arranged to fit the complementarly conical seats. 23 in the bottom plate 7 in li uid-tight relation to afford communication etween the vacuum-chamber 70 and the bells 26. Said vaduum-chamb er 70 However, the

plate 50 is uplifted and the bottles 35 are in position to be filled, said chamber being connected to any convenient exhausting means (not shown) by the pipe 87, having the union 88 and valve 89. Said valve 89 may be conveniently operated by having its controllinglever 90 connected to the lever 56 by the link thrust against their seats 98 by atmospheric pressure when a vacuum is established in said chamber 70.

The deflecting-hoods 100'. in the chamber 7 0 rest upon su table supports 101, extending from the end walls of the lower shell 71, and said hoods are retained in position by the lugs 102 on the end walls ofthe upper shell 72. The operation of'themachine is as follows, the parts being I normally in the position shown in the drawings, with the bottle-rack 65 resting upon the raising-plate 50,.charged with empty bottles 35,.and the reservoir 5 char ed with the liquid 6: By depressing the andle 60 the raising-plate 50 is uplifted, carrying the bottles vertically upward into engxagement with their respective seats 36 in t e bells 26 and uplifting said bells, which carry the valves 40 from their seats 22 to permit the liquid 6 toflow through the ap. ertures 43 and tubes 42 into said bottles.

Simultaneously" with. the uli'fting of said I plate 50 the valve 89, control Ing'the pipe 87,

is opened and the chamber 7 O exhausted, which causes the diaphragm-valves 36' to be seated and closes the apertures in the bottom of said chamber. As the bottles fill the surplus liquidand froth therein is sucked up I by the vacuum through the apertures 25,

channels 18 and 21, and tubes 85 and is discharged into thevacuum-chamber 70 against the deflecting hoods 100, said deflectinghoods bemg for the purpose of preventing-the fluid from spurting into the exhaust pipe 87 Thus regardless of their heights all bottles 3-5 may be filled to their tops and the necessity of a second operation of topping obviated. When the bottles 35 have been filled, the plate 50 is a ain lowered and the i parts automatically a just themselves by gravity to their normal positions. The low; ering of said late closes the valve 89 and the vacuum is t us destroyed, permitting the diaphragm-valves 96 to drop on their angle- 65 is arranged to be exhausted when the raisingg brackets 97 and thereby discharge from the cise details of construction and arrangement herein described, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention.

I claim 1. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination with a reservoir; of a vacuum-chamher; a valve in said reservoir arranged to be controlled by the movement of the bottle to be filled; and, means arranged to exhaust said vacuum-chamber in accordance with the opening of said valve, substantially as set forth. 4

2. In a bottle-filling machine; the combination, with a reservoir and a vacuum-chamber; of a movable conduit communicating with said reservoir, and having an adjacent but independent channel communicating with said Vacuum-chamber; a valve controlling the communication between the reservoir and said movable conduit, and arranged to be actuated by movement of said conduit; means for exhausting said vacuum-chamber and means, cooperating with the bottle, for effectin the movement of said conduit; substantialIy as set forth.

In a bottle-filling machine, the combination with a reservoir; of a valve in said reservoir arranged to be controlled by relative movement between said valve and the bottle to be filled of abell in contact with said valve arranged to receive the mouth of said bottle; and, a channel in said bell through which the surplus liquid or froth formed insaid bottle may be withdrawn by communication with a vacuum, substantially as set forth.

4. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination with a reservoir; of a valve in said reservoir arranged to be opened by uplifting the bottle to be filled; a bell in contact with said valve arranged to receive the mouth .of said bottle; a channel in said bell through which the surplus li uid or froth in said bottle may be withdrawn y communication with a vacuum; and, means arranged to uplift said bottle, substantially as set forth.

5. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination with a reservoir; of a valve ,in said reservoir arranged to be opened by uplifting,

and closed by lowering, the bottle to be filled;

a bell arranged for vertical reciprocation and arranged to receive the mouth of said bottle;

a vacuum-chamber; a channel in said bell in communication with said vacuum-chamber; and, means arran ed to uplift said bottle and contemporaneous y exhaust said vacuumchamber to respectively admit liquidto'said bottle and withdraw the surplus liquid or froth therefrom, substantially as set forth.

6. In a'bottle-filling machine,-the combination with a reservoir; of a tube-head comprising a bifurcated channel a valve arranged to control one branch of said channel; a vacuumchamber; 'a tube connecting the other branch of said channel with said vacuumchamber; and, means whereby uplifting the bottle to be filled contemporaneously opens said valve and exhausts said chamber to respectively fill said bottle with liquid and withdraw the surplus liquidor froth therefrom into said chamber, substantially as set forth.

' 7. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination with a reservoir; of a tube-head comprising a bifurcated channel; a valve arranged to control one branch of said channel; a vacuum-chamber; a tube connecting the other branch of said channel with said vacuum chamber; means whereby the uplifting of the bottle to be filled contemporaneously withdraw the surplus liquid or froth therefrom into said chamber; and, a defiectinghood arranged to deflect said froth as it enters said chamber, substantially as set forth.

8. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination with 'means arranged to fill a bottle with liquid; of a vacuum-chamber; a valve in said chamber arranged to automatically close or open when vacuum is respectively established or terminated; a bell arranged to receive the mouth of said bottle a channel connecting said hell with said chamber; and,

means arranged to alternately establish and terminate a vacuum within said chamber, to respectively Withdraw the froth from said bottle into said chamber, and discharge said froth from said chamber, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto Y signed my name, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 2d day of May, 1905. I

SAMUEL M; HEULINGS.

Witnesses:

C IFTON OpHarrownrr, ARTHUR E. PAIGE. 

